It’s ‘Gov. DeSantis,’ not ‘Dr. DeSantis,’ right? Don’t dispute coronavirus experts | Editorial

We mean no disrespect, but when the world renowned guru of infectious diseases, who also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004 and who opened our eyes to the scourge of HIV/AIDs in the 1980s says that there has been community spread of the coronavirus in Florida, whom should we believe — Dr. Anthony Fauci, said guru, or Gov. Ron DeSantis, who says, Nope, there’s no community spread of the virus in the state?

The DeSantis administration went into a Trump-like denial of the coronavirus’ spread. In fact, on Wednesday, Fauci told lawmakers in the U.S. House that it would have been “nice” if President Trump hadn’t eliminated the National Security Council’s global-health unit.

“We worked very well with that office. It would be nice if the office was still there,” said Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. He was speaking at a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing.

Florida in peril

DeSantis’ reaction is surprising and disappointing, coming from a governor who has been fairly transparent about the disease.

Why not confirm it first, Governor? This knee-jerk, nothing-to-see-here response makes all Floridians less safe.

Fauci also said that the pandemic is going to get worse. DeSantis should not push back with, “No it’s not!”

Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and leader of the federal Coronavirus Task Force, said this week that Florida is one of four states with “community spread” of the disease. In other words, some people with confirmed cases have not traveled to countries where the virus is rampant, nor do they meet other high-risk factors. How they contracted the disease, then, is not yet obvious.

DeSantis spokeswoman Helen Aguirre Ferré said, “In Broward County, the three workers at the port work for the same company, in the same location, and tested positive for COVID-19.” She says this means there’s no random spread.

OK, but there’s also no indication yet as to how they contracted the disease. In the greater community, perhaps, then one infected the two others?

Manatee County case

In a case of confirmed coronavirus in Manatee County, the state has not said publicly how the man might have contracted it.

Fauci cautions: “When you have community spread you’re obviously going to ratchet up the kinds of mitigations that you have.”

At least it should be obvious to DeSantis. Something else should be obvious: Even if there is no community spread in Florida now, there will be, because … Florida.

But this has been the perilous problem in fighting the disease: Irresponsible Republican politicians pushing back against science, against the experts, against medical professionals who actually know what we must confront. That puts Floridians in even more danger, despite their still-low risk of getting the coronavirus.

Unfortunately, it appears the lab coat DeSantis wore for a recent coronavirus photo-op went to his head.

This story was originally published March 11, 2020 at 2:32 PM.